Monday, December 13, 2010

Now that finals are over, I thought I'd sit down and type up the recipe several of you requested. For my second daughter's recent birthday, she asked for a, "coffee cake."

"Do you want a coffee-flavored cake," I asked. "Or do you want a coffee cake like the ones at Starbucks, with the cinnamon swirl and crumbs on top?"

The birthday girl's eyes lit up. "Both?" She grinned.

The birthday cake itself was a Bûche de Noël, with an espresso simple syrup soak, filled with whipped cream, covered in chocolate ganache, and decorated with tiny toffee bits and a tiny owl. But, for breakfast, we had this:

Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a Cuisinart. Pulse until the nuts are broken and the butter is incorporated into the dry ingredients. You want crumbs, not paste, so just until they're mixed. Maybe 10 pulses.

(My four year old has this job)

*I have used Earth Balance in this, but it will change the texture of the crumb topping a bit. It tends to be very soft, even when cold, and you have to be careful to not create a paste. Also, yes, you can do all of this with a fork or a pastry cutter (just use chopped pecans instead of halves). However, since this recipe is a buttermilk coffee cake, you're probably not sensitive to dairy if you're reading this. Can you sub soured milk (with lemon juice or vinegar added to a nondairy milk)? Sure. But there's something magical that happens when buttermilk is used. I promise. I've tested it.

Empty the contents of the food processor into a bowl and set aside. Don't worry about washing the bowl - you're going to mix it all together in the cups anyway.

With lingering bits of streusel topping, add all the dry ingredients into the bowl of your Cuisinart. Pulse until you get a crumbly texture with no noticeable spots of butter. Think pie crust.

Open the chute and pour in the egg and buttermilk. Process just until moistened. This is a quick bread, like banana bread or cornbread. It will be sticky and thick.

We like muffins, but you're free to make whatever shape your heart desires (I'm particularly fond of those individual little loaves but it was a birthday and the birthday girl wanted muffins). You don't have to use the foil muffin liners I always recommend for cupcakes. These coffee cake muffins don't stick like cake. So, we had polka dot liners. (Check etsy for fun designs!)

Now, scoop a heaping Tablespoon of dough into each cup. Designate a preschooler or "helper" kid to add about a heaping teaspoon of the streusel on top of that. Then, go back and add another heaping tablespoon of dough for the top of the muffin. And, again, dust with streusel mix.

You will now have a tender, slightly sweet cake with a ribbon of sweet cinnamon in the center and crumbs on top.

Bake at 400° for 16 minutes or so. Flip out onto a rack and cool slightly so you don't burn your mouth. But, they are absolutely delicious warm!